You are here

Broncos buck the Bulldogs 54-49

Through three periods, the Borger Bulldogs had control of their game with the Clarendon Broncos in the semifinals of the Amarillo River Road Tournament.However foul trouble, shooting woes, and a leg injury to junior Jamon Hearon resulted in the Broncos battling back to steal a 54-49 win to advance to the tournament title game against Pampa on Saturday afternoon.The Bulldogs held a 45-37 lead going into the final period. But the Bulldogs went six minutes in the fourth period without scoring a basket and giving Clarendon the opportunity for the comeback.Cold shooting plagued the Bulldogs from the opening tip off. However, the Bulldogs were able to depend on solid defense to help them have a 17-12 lead after the first period.Hearon, Daniel Salinas, and Tyrell Haynes converted baskets near the paint in the second period. But the Broncos found a way to keep the Bulldogs from pulling away and were down by just four points at halftime, 29-25.The Bulldogs came out strong in the third period and were able to build a ten point lead, 41-31 by the 4:40 mark.The Broncos attempted to cut into the lead, but baskets by Salinas and Aaron Smith kept the Bulldogs ahead by eight, 45-37. going into the final period.Just before the third period ended, Hearon would suffer a leg injury when going able a loose ball in front of the Clarendon bench.The Broncos opened the fourth period hitting a three pointer to make it a 45-40 score.The Bulldogs had several good opportunities to put points on the scoreboard in the fourth period. But the team had a tough time getting the ball to fall through the basket down the stretch.On the other side of the floor, the Bulldogs were in foul trouble and the Broncos made the most of free throw chances in the fourth period, going 9/11 from the charity stripe.Two of those free throws gave the Broncos their first lead of the game, 45-46, at the 3:21 mark.The Bulldogs responded with Salinas scoring to take back a one point lead. But at the 2:00 mark, Clarendon took back the lead and ate about a minute off the clock after coming up with a key steal.The Bulldogs resorted to fouling to try to stay alive, but the Broncos took care of business at the free throw line to pull off the fourth period comeback win.Due to the loss, the Bulldogs played Boys Ranch on Saturday afternoon for third place in the River Road Tournament.